Alex Jones 3 Lle

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-Castell Carreg Cennen sits

-right on top of the Amman Valley.

-You can see it from all directions.

-The castle's three miles from home.

-Driving here, memories

-of my childhood come flooding back.

-I feel eight years old again.

-It's so far removed from London.

-It feels like home.

-I'm sure it was always sunny

-when I was little.

-The sun

-seemed to shine all the time.

-I'd often come here,

-sometimes during the week.

-After Mam and Dad finished work,

-the sun would go down...

-..and we'd walk up here and call in

-the pub at the bottom of the road...

-..before returning home.

-If I was lucky, I'd get a shandy.

-That was the highlight for me.

-I lived in Pantyffynnon

-on the outskirts of Ammanford...

-..with my parents

-and my younger sister Jenny.

-I attended Ysgol Gymraeg Rhydaman.

-It was a close-knit community.

-Teachers and parents were friends -

-we all went camping on weekends.

-We had several barbecues up here.

-I didn't realize it at the time...

-..but while we children

-were playing in the castle...

-..the adults

-were on the cider and wine.

-They were

-in a right state going home!

-This view is spectacular.

-There's nowhere like this in London.

-Or in England, to be honest.

-Not last Christmas,

-but the Christmas before...

-..I brought my husband here...

-..for him to see

-where I used to come as a child.

-He loved it, as someone

-who's into castles, history...

-..and the great outdoors.

-This was

-the ideal place to bring him.

-It was nice

-showing it to a New Zealander...

-..who hadn't seen much of Wales,

-though we've been together a while.

-Every time

-we go to my parents' house...

-..he says, "Shall we

-go to Castell Carreg Cennen?"

-I was a very shy child...

-..so much so that

-my parents took me to the doctor.

-They said,

-"This girl doesn't talk to anyone."

-I started taking drama classes

-and that's when I changed.

-My teacher, Delyth Mai Nicholas,

-was great.

-She brought me out of my shell.

-But still,

-even now in my current job...

-..I can't stand walking into a room

-full of people I don't know.

-People can't understand that,

-but when you're a TV presenter...

-..you're talking to

-one person behind the camera.

-I don't think about the viewers.

-That's how I'm able do the job.

-I'll always be

-an Amman Valley girl at heart.

-It's my home. Mam and Dad are here.

-My happiest memories are of here.

-Of being a little girl

-and feeling secure.

-Wherever I go in the world, this

-will always be my favourite place.

-There aren't many photos of us

-in Castell Carreg Cennen.

-That's because we always went

-on the spur of the moment.

-We took it for granted

-because it was so close.

-You don't bother taking photos then.

-You're lucky

-we took as many as this.

-That's Jen and me.

-Jen was four and you were six.

-That's at Castell Carreg Cennen too.

-Where's this?

-Where's this?

-

-On the way up to the castle.

-It was Easter time.

-We took the bikes.

-You'd never think

-that was the same girl.

-It's such a sock.

-Is it odd going into the local shop

-and seeing this?

-No. Mr Dale says, "There's another

-magazine out. Want to buy it?"

-He keeps his eye out for me.

-It's business for him.

-Remember the first week

-I was on Strictly?

-You said, "How long will this go on

-for? You're spoiling it for me.

-"I'm stressed."

-Where are you going next?

-Where are you going next?

-

-Cardiff - I spent 12 years there...

-..before moving to London, didn't I?

-It's my second home, I suppose.

-After graduating from Aberystwyth,

-I wanted to come to the big city.

-I considered doing an MA so I could

-become a newsreader in Cardiff.

-On the same day as I found out

-I'd been accepted on the course...

-..a company called me,

-offering me work...

-..as a runner,

-doing various bits and bobs.

-So I stayed in Cardiff for 12 years.

-I'd come here, especially in summer,

-and have a glass of rose...

-..or 10!

-I spent many a late night in

-the Bay. I've got great memories.

-I worked for a TV company

-for quite a while.

-I was 21 at the time.

-I wasn't taking it very seriously.

-An important man, who'd played

-Phantom in Phantom of the Opera...

-..came to Cardiff to be interviewed

-and the camera crew said...

-.."Waste some time because we're not

-ready for him. Take him for lunch."

-I wasn't earning very much at the

-time, so I took him to McDonald's.

-I think that was the final nail

-in the coffin, as it were...

-..because afterwards,

-they said, "You're a poor runner.

-"Maybe you should try presenting."

-I presented a show called La Bamba,

-filmed on a beach in Magaluf.

-I spent a month there

-with 60 others.

-Then I got into children's TV

-and did that for 10 years.

-During those 10 years...

-..I worked

-on a music series called Popty...

-..13'30" Munud o Enwogrwydd.

-(Minutes of Fame)...

-..a travel show

-with Aled Sam called Tocyn...

-..a programme

-about extreme sports called Chwa!

-Then there was Salon and Retro,

-but the one I enjoyed the most...

-..was Hip Neu Sgip.

-I presented that show for 10 years.

-I loved meeting the families

-and the children.

-I spent three days with them.

-The programme worked well.

-I enjoyed filming it.

-Three, two, one, ta-dah!

-Children's television suited me...

-..because I like larking about.

-It was a safe environment for me

-to hone my skills as a presenter.

-Had it not been for children's TV...

-..I doubt

-I'd be on The One Show now.

-Seeing the Bay in the sunshine

-looking gorgeous...

-..reminds me of good times.

-I miss the Bay.

-Sometimes, when I'm on the tube

-in London and it's dull...

-..I daydream

-about the Bay in the sunshine...

-..and think, I'd like to be there

-with the girls and a glass of wine.

-I come back often -

-as often as possible.

-Every other week, if I can.

-I always get a warm welcome.

-Everyone gets together.

-Though I've made

-new friends in London...

-..they'll never be

-the same as my friends here.

-There's another reason

-why Cardiff is important to me...

-..especially Cardiff Castle...

-..because

-this is where I got married.

-I was adamant

-I was getting married in Wales.

-We looked at

-several places in West Wales...

-..and after searching for a while...

-..my sister suggested

-we come and see the castle.

-Straightaway,

-I thought, yes, of course!

-This is the ideal place.

-It was convenient

-for guests from New Zealand...

-..in terms of flying to London

-and driving down the M4 to here.

-It was easy for my parents to reach.

-It was central.

-Since I'd lived in Cardiff all those

-years, the castle was the answer.

-The last time I was here...

-..Dad and I were perspiring

-profusely behind that door.

-We knew all our family and friends

-were in this room.

-This is where

-our wedding ceremony was held.

-Charlie at the bottom, looking pale!

-It's odd seeing it like this

-without the decorations, candles...

-..and all the plants.

-It looked fantastic.

-The ceremony was

-the best part of the day for me.

-It meant more than I expected.

-It was incredibly special.

-We came up with our own vows...

-..because there were

-a few things we needed to sort out.

-It was the right way to do it.

-Charlie takes ages in the shower

-and he's late for everything.

-He promised in his vows

-not to be late any more...

-..and he promised to take no longer

-than five minutes in the shower.

-I had to promise

-that I'd go camping with him...

-..and enjoy being outdoors...

-..in the open air

-and be at one with nature.

-We haven't done much of that

-but he showers quicker!

-I love this room, the library.

-It was here that our guests

-enjoyed drinks and canapes...

-..while we were

-having photographs taken in there.

-We were starving

-by the time we had food.

-We agreed to have a Hello!

-photographer take our photos.

-I didn't want to initially,

-but after some persuasion, I agreed.

-They said it'd only be three pages.

-We opened the magazine

-after the wedding...

-..and we kept turning the pages.

-It was 15 pages long, if not 18!

-We haven't had time to look

-at the photos, which is a good job!

-Everyone says

-it's the best day of your life...

-..but it was more than that.

-Though I've moved away...

-..Cardiff is always

-going to be important to me.

-This view makes me very happy...

-..especially

-since we got married here.

-It'll play

-an important part in our lives.

-It wouldn't surprise me

-if we eventually moved back here.

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-Here we are on the Thames.

-It's a perfect place to jog.

-That's why I do so much of it here.

-It took me three years to realize...

-..that everyone

-looks much fatter on television!

-Since then,

-I've been exercising more.

-While I'm running

-I often listen to the radio...

-..because in my job, it's important

-I keep abreast of the news.

-If I have to prepare for something,

-if I'm giving a speech in public...

-..that's when I'll think about it

-and plan it all out.

-When I'm running, I tend to

-use the time to do a bit of work.

-LONDON

-There's nothing nicer

-than a cup of tea after running.

-Chiswick is my home in London.

-I've lived here for five years.

-It's a lovely place. It has

-a villagey feel to it. It's safe.

-It's 20 minutes from the centre, so

-you feel like you're coming home.

-There are nice little shops and,

-more importantly, pubs like this!

-I settled down pretty quickly

-in London, to be honest.

-It's because

-I found an area like Chiswick.

-There are

-a lot of Welsh speakers here.

-Mam and Dad enjoy coming to London.

-They have a whale of a time.

-There's a lot of pressure

-on women...

-..to achieve the things

-that sometimes seem impossible.

-A good job, raising a family,

-keeping the house perfect.

-It's quite old-fashioned, and every

-journalist who interviews me...

-..starts by asking, "So, when

-are you going to have children?"

-It's a difficult question to answer.

-It's incredibly intrusive,

-for a start.

-But it is difficult.

-On the one hand, I think family is

-more important than anything else.

-But sometimes it doesn't happen

-as easily as that.

-It's hard to find the time.

-Now I have the ideal job...

-..the kind of job I've wanted

-ever since I was little...

-..it's hard to know

-when to break the routine...

-..and focus on family.

-I think things like that

-will happen naturally...

-..when the time's right.

-It's hard to believe what's happened

-in the past six years.

-I feel very fortunate

-to be doing this job.

-It's a full-time job.

-I come in by lunchtime, having done

-my research in the morning.

-It can be quite a long day...

-..but because I enjoy my job,

-it makes it very easy.

-Every day is different.

-Every guest brings something

-different to the programme.

-This is my dressing room.

-My clothes and shoes are

-all in here, my notes, my computer.

-I sleep here,

-if I've done radio in the morning.

-It's lovely having

-a personal room within the BBC.

-I'm very lucky, even though it's

-small. I've asked for a bigger one.

-All my clothes

-are creeping into the corridor too.

-But they've said no, so that's that!

-Down here are the make-up rooms...

-..the green room and where

-they make the programme's props.

-The guests come out of the lift

-and down to here.

-It's very messy.

-My clothes are all over the place.

-These two piles

-are going to the charity shop.

-I remember

-my very first One Show clearly.

-I wore a dark blue and yellow dress.

-I never would've chosen it myself.

-My hair was in a bob,

-like one of those Lego people!

-I remember the guest

-was Whoopi Goldberg.

-I was a bit nervous but I was

-more nervous doing the screen tests.

-By the time I sat on the sofa,

-I'd got the job.

-I thought, they can't get rid of me

-after only a week.

-I felt OK about it.

-I felt confident

-that I had plenty of experience...

-..thanks to

-all the work I did for S4C.

-Although it's a wider audience...

-..all audiences

-are as important as each other.

-It made no difference to me that

-it was on BBC One rather than S4C.

-It wasn't any more important.

-But all that experience

-I'd gained on Welsh television...

-..led to

-that first night on the sofa.

-This is the green room.

-This is where

-the guests come before the show.

-We sometimes have meetings in here.

-The best thing about this room

-is all the photographs on the wall.

-People who've been on the show.

-It's a lovely record

-of all the guests we've interviewed.

-You tend to forget...

-..doing this every day.

-Danny DeVito,

-Cameron Diaz, Jack Black.

-Bruce. Sir Bruce. Ant and Dec.

-Cuba Gooding Junior. On the show,

-I called him Cuba Junior Pudding!

-I do a lot of that.

-Bryan Ferry was Frying Berry!

-95% of the guests we have on

-are fantastic. They're lovely.

-As a rule, I'm never starstruck.

-I remember when Cilla came on

-for the first time.

-She's someone I watched as a child.

-I was quite nervous that night.

-I've been starstruck a few times.

-Once with David Beckham.

-Because he was so good-looking

-and so clean!

-He smelt so nice!

-Bradley Cooper too.

-Barry Manilow!

-Or Fraggle Rock, as I call him!

-Taylor Swift years ago.

-We've both changed.

-I've lost five stone since then!

-Michael Caine a while back.

-Lionel Richie.

-That night,

-I gave him the norovirus.

-He went in for a kiss on the lips...

-..and I'd been ill for two days.

-He had to cancel concerts

-after that night!

-We haven't had many awkward guests

-but there have been one or two.

-I think the first one

-was Bruce Willis.

-He didn't understand

-how the programme worked.

-He arrived 30 seconds

-before we were on air.

-We didn't have time to brief him

-about what we were going to do.

-We went into one of the short films

-we show on The One Show...

-..and I said to him,

-"You have to start talking...

-"..because

-this isn't going very well."

-He was laughing because he didn't

-realize we were live or anything.

-He said,

-"I don't really like the film."

-I thought,

-tough, that's why you're here!

-This is very luxurious, isn't it?

-This is the way into the studio.

-Today, it doesn't look

-at all like it usually looks.

-Come in.

-Watch the cables on the floor.

-It's hard to work out

-how the studio usually looks...

-..because tomorrow, we're doing

-a special programme about pubs.

-That's why we have a pub.

-Who wants what, then?!

-There's proper beer here too.

-Great. What's this?

-They obviously didn't use

-a recent photo!

-What's great about the show

-is that I do things...

-..I've never dreamed of doing...

-..such as Will and Kate's wedding,

-six months after I started.

-That was fantastic.

-I was very nervous that morning.

-There was something like 100 million

-people watching all over the world.

-I remember waiting for Huw Edwards.

-I thought,

-I'm going to be sick here now.

-I was so nervous.

-But that's part of the job.

-Though you're nervous,

-you don't show it at all.

-It's been a strange journey...

-..going all the way

-from Castell Carreg Cennen...

-..looking over the Amman Valley...

-..and ending up here, on top of one

-of the busiest streets in London.

-It makes me realize

-how far I've come as a person.

-When I was little, I never thought

-I'd leave the Amman Valley.

-I never thought I'd live in Cardiff.

-I was very happy there.

-Now I'm realizing a dream

-here in London.

-The distant past...

-..the past and the present.

-It was lovely going back

-to Castell Carreg Cennen...

-..and spending time

-with Mam and Dad.

-It was nice being reminded

-of all the fun I had in Cardiff...

-..and then coming here,

-which is now my home.

-The three places

-have three things in common.

-The three places are as important

-to me for different reasons.

-They're all welcoming.

-I always get a warm welcome

-in these three places.

-I also feel at home

-in all three places.

-S4C Subtitles by Adnod Cyf.

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